Soviet Literature

[Boris239]

Turk, I can assure you that only a small part of Ukraine welcomed German troops as their liberators, also there were much more such people there than in Belorussia or Russia.
Thorwench is absolutely right and a common Russian soldier didn't really think about suppressing the freedoms in Eastern Europe. Certainly both of my grandfathers didn't think about it.

The fact that under the communist totalitarian regime there existed so many talented writers is in fact amazing especially considering their mortality rate in the USSR. And I'll always choose Bulgakov over let's say Turgenev. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky are exceptions, but there are not many writers of that level in the whole world anyway.

Thorwench, I actually liked "Young Guard". If you disregard most of the propaganda, it's pretty good and the story is mostly real. Actually Fadeev later commited suicide beacuse he occasionally accused the wrong guy of being a traitor (at least it was one of the reasons). I've read some books by young Fadeev and liked them very much.

[Thorwench]

Boris, I always disregard the propganda bits. Sometimes they are interesting , though. In Fedin's Unusual Summer which is 2nd part of the trilogy and was written during the Stalin era you find insertions not part of any chapter called : images of war. In these he gives all the battles and troop movement in the civil war and praises Stalin's role as the true saviour of the revolution (which he wans't) even quoting entire speeches or letters by Stalin. This may serve 2 purposes: 1 is to praise him as would be expected at the time although I think he overdoes it a bit; 2 is to establish his superior ability to conduct warfare (the generalissimus) in parallel to WWII which was going on at the time the book was written. It is also interesting that the praise is so blatantly inserted - we would have read between the lines that this was nothing but lip service, i.e. the propaganda subverts itself, but then, I don't know much about Fedin as a person. Book three, which mainly deals with the taking of Brest and the first three days of Svetchennaya Voina doesn't mention Stalin at all (was written after his death). Conspicuous, this.
I didn't like Fadeev that much because there was not much development within the persons themselves, they were all pretty static. It therefore was pretty predictable. It is a true book in the sense that in the end, they are caught for a really unnecessary and stupid reason, that's what I thought at the time at least. Although this is some sort of heroism it is a highly doubtful one. They should have protected themselves better in order to be more effective as partisans. But then, they all were very very young, you don't tend to be careful when young but the taste of nonsense from a military point of view remains. It is also that this book was certainly intended to set an example and their example should rather be a lesson. I thought that the message: Sacrifice your life no matter what and you will be a hero showed some inkling of the soviet state's tendency to disregard the value of human life and a poor understanding of effectivity.
Can you recommend any other of the Fadeev stuff you mentioned? The same applies to Shukshin, any suggestions? The name sound familiar as a movie director. Which ones did he make? I know a hell of a lot of Russian movies, so I probably could place your information. My favourite one is Destiny but that's Bondartshuk I think (also playing the lead)? I mean the Sholokov adaptation where the soldier finds this little boy and does not have the heart to tell him that he is not his fallen father.

[Koa]

I have never read anything Soviet I think... I was about to last year but then I never got around to. I really should, to see how it's like with my eyes rather than reading comments...

Well, what I mean is that I never read regime literature... talking of just Soviet period as in time, I read the abovementioned Bulgakov and I have big big problems with him , I read Solzhenycin and Vasilij Grossman... and stuff...

[Boris239]

Fadeev's best book is probably "Razgrom"("Rout"). It was written in 1927 and is about a group of partisans during the Russian Civil War.
I have read only short stories by Shukshin. His films are "Kalina Krasnaya"("Snowball Berry Red"), "Oni srazhalis' za Rodinu" and many others.
What other Russian movies do you like? My favorite is probably Tarkovsky's "Solaris". I also like a lot of Mark Zakharov's movies that are mostly based on Eugene Schwarz's plays(another great Soviet writer). "Pokayanie"("Repentance") is a great Perestroyka time Georgian movie for undestanding Stalin's times.

[Thorwench]

I like "Oswoboshdjenie" and "Go and see" (I think by Tarkovsky), "Matjora" (again Tarkovsky?), "Destiny" as I said (I get the Russian title to identify, German versions have all their own German titles which may not be the same as the Russian original ones) and "As the cranes were flying" (you probably never identify this one, I get the Russian title as well). And then of course all the kiddie movies, those wonderful fairy tales. We can buy them here again on DVD and I show them to my children to carry on with the tradition.
I also like Eisenstein, especially "Ivan Grosny", "Alexander Nevsky" and "Potjomkin". And the good old Hamlet film with Innokenti Smoktunovsky as Hamlet. Did you watch or read "Guardians of the Night", the new "Blade" like film / book by Lukianenko? My husband, who is English, likes "Quiet Dawn" based on Vassilyevs book. I forced him to watch all of them, if I have to watch "Battle of Britain" or "The Great Escape" three million times....

[Woland]

I have big big problems with him

Mind if I ask what sort of problems?

[Thorwench]

Yeah, what problems and what did you read? (Master and Margarueta or The white Guard? - they are the only ones I know. And Boris, I have the Russian titles: Destiny is "Sudhba Czeloveka" and the Cranes is "Letyat shuravly". What's with "Symorodok" (The Kingfisher)? What's with Arkady Gaydar, we had his Timur book in school. Almost everyone loved it - and the film as well. Gives a really good atmosphere of the Crimean peninsula as well.

[Kareniyna]

(Tx Boris 4 answer @ Shukshin's film...)

Since Bulgakov is being discussed, I'm curious to ask if anyone has read his "Sobachie cerdtse" (I think it translates as "Dog's heart") and if so what did u think of it? It was obviously something of a parable or a satire; and I think I understood the idea he was trying to convey but... it's still a bit foggy and bizarre to me. Any input?

[Koa]

Mind if I ask what sort of problems?

Just don't like him...read master and margarita twice, the second time just to see if a few years later and with more knowledge i would appreciate it but nope...i'm never going to try again. i find it boring as hell (though i wonder if the translator has something to do with that) and all the 'magic' part of people flying and turning into pigs and whatnot makes me want to throw the book away....

[Boris239]

I, of course, have read "Heart of a dog" and it's one of my favorite books. And there is a great movie by Vladimir Bortko with Evstigneev playing professor Preobrazhensky. There are so many levels in this book. The most obvious is the fact that although he has heart of a dog, Poligraf Poligrafovich's a real human. He is such a disgusting individual not because of the animal part( Sharik is very likable dog), but because of his guman part. In fact his dislike of cats is his only understandable trait.
Then all the things that professor was telling about "razruha"-it's in our heads not on the streets. On a bit deeper level- if you think about it. Sharikov was created by Preobrazhensky, an intellectual, who didn't know what his experiment will result in. Similarly the Russian Revolution was done mostly by idealistic and intellectual people who created the monster that finally destroyed most of them.And Thorwench, there are other Bulgakov's books "Theatrical novel", "Life of Molier", "Run"(Beg), various plays- for example "Ivan Vasil'evich changes his profession"(there is a famous Soviet comedy based on it)
Yes, everybody has read about Timur in Russia. Gaydar's first book is actually "School" which is also very good. I've read also bunch of his stories for kids- the most famous is probably the afiry tale about Mal'chish Kibal'chish. Do you know that his grandson was actually the Russian prime minister in the 90s?
There are a lot of really good writers for youth in Russia and a huge number of great movies for the young generation. My favorite is "Two captains" by Kaverin. There was a movie based on it and recently a musical "Nord Ost" which has a very sad history(you've probably heard about the terrorists taking the hostages during the performance). The musical was pretty good actually- I've seen it in Moscow.
The "Cranes are flying" are pretty popular. And "The Destiny of a man" is definitely not one of Tarkovsky's movies. I did watch "The Night watch" but can't say that I liked it. I do like "Hamlet" with Smoktunovsky who is one of my favorite actors. I can reccomend a lot of easy Soviet comedies that are always fun to watch.
To finish my long reply- for those who live in New York- Thre is a Russian film festival right now in the Greenwich Village. It started today and will be held for a week. I saw "Piter FM" today and it was pretty good.

[Woland]

Just don't like him...read master and margarita twice, the second time just to see if a few years later and with more knowledge i would appreciate it but nope...i'm never going to try again. i find it boring as hell (though i wonder if the translator has something to do with that) and all the 'magic' part of people flying and turning into pigs and whatnot makes me want to throw the book away....

Ive read the Ginsburg translation and two others and the Ginsburg translation wa s definately the most enjoyable for me. Its sentences were more succint, often dead pan and had more wit, so I would guess I picked up an at least passable translation. That being said the things that you dislike about the book are the aspects I enjoy /shrug, different strokes and all...

[Woland]

(Tx Boris 4 answer @ Shukshin's film...)

Since Bulgakov is being discussed, I'm curious to ask if anyone has read his "Sobachie cerdtse" (I think it translates as "Dog's heart") and if so what did u think of it? It was obviously something of a parable or a satire; and I think I understood the idea he was trying to convey but... it's still a bit foggy and bizarre to me. Any input?

Im just starting on Heart of a Dog now, but I can already tell Im going to like it. Ill come back here after I finish it.

[Thorwench]

Dorogiy Boris, I meant that "Matyora" and "Go and see" are possibly by Tarkovsky. Destiny of man is by Bondartshuk I think. I can otherwise only agree on the great quality of Russian or Soviet literature for young readers. We all liked, and my children still adore, Volkov's adaptation of the Wizard of Oz including the first four sequels. Czaplina's animal stories are wonderful and a great introduction to wild / zoo animal issues. When I was older I liked "Grey Owl" by Prishvin and "Dersu Usala" although the latter is probably an adult book. There is such a versality in Russian landscape and ethnic minorities and those two books raise an awareness for those minorities and their problems. That's why I liked Tshingis Aitmatov so much, especially "The white Steamer" and the Inuit-book, the German title translates to "Speckled dog that runs by the sea". It is a very touching and somehow, for us middle Europeans, strange story of sacrifices to be made in harsh environments. A couple of years ago we had an Inuit exhibition in our town with real inuits being there, showing how they create their art and explaining how they live. I went there with my children and you can see how this makes an impact upon them, perceiving the likeness of human beings and their differences as well. It makes you admire anyone who copes with these climatic conditions. Anyway, have to run now and hope to get the Fadeev-book you suggested.

[Kareniyna]

Sorry, i wanted to ask more about the "heart of a dog" but I was away with a sprained hand (no typing!) Thanks B. for insight--makes more sense of it. Appreciated the input.

[lostdog]

Thorwench, I'm wondering if you have ever come across the book "Comrade Venka" by Pavel Nilin. It is a novel translated from the Russian by Josef Barnes, and published by Marzani and Munsell, New York, 1959. It' been a long time since I read it, but what I remember is a moving story of a young police officer in a rural region who makes an agreement with a group of anti-soviet "bandits" as they are refered to in the book, and is later betrayed by his superiors, who execute the leader of the band. So the story is of an attempt to find a peaceful resolution to conflict that is betrayed by the officialdom. I hadn't found this site when your discussion took place, but I wish I had. Lostdog